DIY renaissance woman Issue #29

Crafty proprietor Faythe Levine already wears a number of hats. With her latest project, The Indie Craft Documentary, she adds two more: producer and director.

By Jen Ng
Published: September 1st, 2006 | 12:00am

Faythe Levine gets around in the craft community. As label-owner of Milwaukee's Flying Fish Design, co-coordinator and founder of Art vs. Craft, and co-owner of Paper Boat Boutique and Gallery, this Midwestern renaissance lady is fervently burrowing a path into the underground scene for DIY craftsters nationwide.

Levine's latest project is The Indie Craft Documentary, which she is producing and directing in collaboration with friend and camerawoman Micaela O'Herlihy. The bulk of the film is funded by gracious donations and Levine's personal credit cards, and the film’s anticipated release is 2008 or 2009, with the hope of independent screenings and availability on DVD.

Levine says she felt a sense of urgency to make the film. “I didn’t know of anyone trying to document what was going on within the community from a film aspect — capturing the entire community in a cohesive manner that crafters and non-crafters alike could digest,” she says. “I want to show that the craft community is creating a counter economy and lifestyle to the mass-produced, nine-to-five, strip-mall culture that is currently in our faces around every turn — from every small town to every large city.”

Over the last six years, national craft fairs such as Renegade, Stitch Austin, Art vs. Craft, and I Heart Rummage have created a handiwork haven for a niche underground crowd that embraces the revival of handmade amenities with a dose of punk-rock flavor. Even the mainstream media has caught on: The New York Times Magazine recently interviewed Levine for a July 2006 article on the indie craft surge.

“I think many people don’t realize the different layers of the craft community that exist, from the crafters themselves to online facilitators, self-proclaimed 'craft theorists,' and the shop owners and gallery curators who are open to new forms of work being shown in a traditional setting,” Levine says.

Levine and O'Herlihy are traveling across the country (to New York City, Austin, and Seattle for a start), interviewing influential figures representing an array of crafty backgrounds, from store owners and Web site proprietors to designers and craft-fair organizers. Contributing interviewees include the women of the Austin Craft Mafia (austincraftmafia.com), Leah Kramer of Craftster (craftster.org), and Garth Johnson of Extreme Craft (extremecraft.com).

Levine’s hope in making the film is to show people that the craft community is a strong, serious art movement that is growing daily. “It's not a fad,” she says. “The new wave of crafts, artists, crafters, and designers are blurring the lines with fine art, traditional art methods mixed with handiwork, and 1960s craft projects — reworking old ideas into new art forms.”

The national reach and recognition of the movement has been facilitated by the power of the Internet. Levine believes that online communities such as MySpace.com, getcrafty.com, and theswitchboards.com have been instrumental in creating a compelling network where location is meaningless. “It’s amazing to see this positive, creative, and collective consciousness happening via technology,” she says. “The shared inspiration, ideas, the booming indie businesses, and the creative flow make the craft community so unique and incredible.”

Visit indiecraftdocumentary.com to learn how you can help fund the project. Or shop at indiecraftmovie.etsy.com. All proceeds from sales go toward the project.